We reviewed almost 900 submissions this year, more than double the number submitted for the first contest last year, so we want to thank so many young writers for expressing themselves through creative writing. Thanks, too, to parents, guardians, and teachers for your support of this program.

The publishers and staff of Baltimore's Child and the board of directors of CityLit Project are pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Maryland Young Writers' Contest (2010). Congratulations on being wonderfully creative poets and prose writers!

POETRY WINNERS

Elementary School

1. Gillian Hutter, “Circle of Time for the Anaquash,” Stone Ridge School

2. Ethan Forrer, “What is Gray?”, Park School of Baltimore

3. Abby L. Pepin, “The Ocean,” Homeschooled

Middle School

1. Marquise Caldwell, “The Hood,” Franklin Square Elementary/Middle

2. Katherine Flanigan, “Colored,” St. Joan of Arc School

3. Willa Beam, “At the Beach,” Monocacy Valley Montessori

High School

1. Rachel Richardson, “Tools," Mt. Hebron High

2. Stuart Russell, “Thoughts on a Morning Stroll Through the Hallway,” Mt. Hebron High

3. Rachel Cohen, “Dear Sun,” Beth Tfiloh

PROSE WINNERS

Elementary School

1. Jade Drawec, "Coming to You," Fountain Green Elementary

2. Janae Morris, "The Detective Family and the Cookie Case," Homeschooled

Honorable Mention -- Mohammed Khalid, "Voices Around the World," Mt. Hebron High School

This year's final judges were:

Poetry:Laura Shovan has been active in the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation’s Poetry Program, and coordinated poetry readings by award-winning teens at the 1996 and 1998 Dodge Poetry Festivals. Since 2002, Shovan has been an Artist-in-Education for the Maryland State Arts Council, leading poetry workshops for school children. She recently won the inaugural Clarinda Harriss Poetry Prize for her chapbook Mountain, Log, Salt, and Stone.

Prose:Andrew Auseon is a writer of young adult novels, including Funny Little Monkey, Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, and the forthcoming Freak Magnet. Andy also has the coolest day-job ever working for Big Huge Games as a video game developer (he was the lead writer and a producer for the real-time strategy hit "Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties").

Everyone will be acknowledged in the May issue of Baltimore's Child, will receive a certificate of recognition, and will be invited to a special event at Barnes & Noble Power Plant (located at Baltimore's beautiful Inner Harbor) on May 1, 2010, at 1pm.

In addition, first place finishers in each category will be published in full in Baltimore's Child's May issue and be offered free scholarships to this summer's Maryland Writing Project's Student Writers' Workshops (with locations in Baltimore County, Frederick County, Harford County, and Southern Maryland).

Sharpen those pencils again. The deadline for the third annual Maryland Young Writers' Contest is December 31, 2010.